Medical image processing apparatus, method, and program

Abstract

A medical image processing apparatus in which an index value calculation unit calculates an index value representing a characteristic of a tubular structure extracted from a three-dimensional medical image in each direction of radial visual lines orthogonal to a core line of the tubular structure at each of a plurality of points on the core line with each point as each viewpoint and a map image generation unit generates a characteristic map image representing the characteristic inside of the tubular structure by mapping the index value calculated in each direction of the radial visual lines at each point on the core line to a coordinate plane defined by a first coordinate component representing a position in a direction of the core line and a second coordinate component representing a direction of each visual line.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0001]1. Field of the Invention[0002]The present invention relates to a medical image processing technology for representing a characteristic of a tubular structure in a three-dimensional medical image.[0003]2. Description of the Related Art[0004]Medical image analysis techniques have been advancing rapidly with a wide spread use of multi-detector row computed tomography in clinical practice. For example, in the field of cardiac medicine, it has become possible to image the entire heart in a shorter period of time and obtain an image without substantially any artifact due to cardiac motion. Consequently, in the image diagnosis of cardiac region, more detailed diagnosis of a stenosis portion of a coronary artery has become possible. In the field of coronary artery observation, a method for specifying a center line of an observation target coronary artery and examining orthogonal cross-sections orthogonal to the center line along the center line and a method...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0032]According to the present invention, an index value representing a characteristic of a tubular structure extracted from a three-dimensional medical image may be calculated in each direction of radial visual lines orthogonal to the core line of the tubular structure at each of a plurality of points on the core line with each point as each viewpoint, and a characteristic map image representing the characteristic inside of the tubular structure may be generated by mapping the index value calculated in each direction of the radial visual lines at each point on the core line to a coordinate plane defined by a first coordinate component representing a position in a direction of the core line and a second coordinate component representing a direction of each visual line. This allows obvious visual recognition of the characteristic of the tubular structure in the three-dimensional medical image using the characteristic map image, thereby reducing the time and effort to observe a plurality of images by changing the display range as required in the case in which observation is performed using a convention image (orthogonal cross-section image or CPR image) representing a tubular structure and improving the efficiency of observation. In this way, the present invention may improve efficiency for observing a characteristic of a tubular structure using an image.

[0033]In the present invention, in the case where two types of index values are calculated and a characteristic map image in which each type index value is represented in a coordinate space defined by the first and second coordinate components, and a third coordinate component representing either one of the two types of index values is generated, the characteristic of the tubular structure may be observed from various aspects using a plurality of types of index values, thereby contributing to the observation accuracy.

Problems solved by technology

That is, in the orthogonal cross-section image of the blood vessel, it is possible to know the plaque distribution and state of stenosis in all circumferential directions of the blood vessel at the position of the orthogonal cross-section, but it is difficult to observe how the plaque presents in the depth direction along the center line of the blood vessel and how the blood vessel is narrowed.

In the CPR image of the blood vessel, it is possible to know the plaque distribution and state of stenosis in the depth direction along the center line of the blood vessel, but these are the states in a particular cross-section along the center line of the blood vessel and it is impossible to observe how the plaque is distributed and how the blood vessel is narrowed over the entire circumference of the blood vessel.

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